How coronavirus-driven obesity has hit well-off families

Although the government's and well-wishers’ attention is focused on needy families, those with plenty of food could be eating themselves sick.

Experts warn there could be increased cases of non-communicable Diseases  due to overfeeding, poor eating habits and physical inactivity.

Such non-communicable diseases include diabetes, hypertension and cancer and Nyeri is among counties with a high burden of these diseases.

Nyeri county nutrition officer Agnes Mwendia says in families where food is not a problem, people may increase their rate of consumption resulting in obesity and increased risk of NCDs. 

 “When people stay at home, they tend to overfeed and there is of course weight gain which will lead to overweight and obesity which are risk factors for non-communicable diseases,” she says.

They include people who have been working from home.

Nyeri being an agricultural area may have no food shortage as farmers expect a bumper harvest following the ongoing rains.

Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga said only 200,000 out of a population of 0.8 million are at risk of starvation, which is just 25 per cent of the population.

Majority of them are those who live in the informal settlement and families whose bread winners lost their jobs as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the county health department, many people are now confined to their homes and as a result, their eating habits have changed.

The county director of medical services Nelson Muriu says some are people whose only nature of physical activity was basically walking to work.

There are others, due to the nature of their work, used to go to the gyms which are now closed.

“One of the things that we do as part of preventing these lifestyle diseases is lifestyle modification and part of it is what we call the modifiable risk factors,” he said.

“This involves ensuring that people are physically active and take the right food.”

Muriu advises those who were used to do white collar jobs and are now at home and have small gardens, to engage in gardening and ensure they do some physical activities.

He says physical activities can even be done inside the house which include doing push-ups and jogging in place among others.

The physical activities will at the end of the day make them sweat, get a bit tired and lose some calories, he adds.

The challenge comes when people become physically inactive and the only thing they do is watch TV and eat.

“This is not just for grown-ups but even children who are now out of school and the only thing they do is just watch TV cartoons and probably take junk foods,” he adds.

He calls on parents to ensure their children are engaged in simple activities inside the house such as mopping the house.

 “If people overeat but are physically inactive, the effects may not be felt now but these may have a long-term impact in future if not taken care of,” he warns.

He advises that as people focus on the must-buys, they should factor in stocking balanced diet and avoid junk food.

Mwendia insists that for one to eat healthy, balance diet must be observed.

Consumption of whole grain (that is avoiding refined foods), taking fruits and vegetables which are rich in vitamin C to boost immunity, nutritious fluids like milk, natural fruit juice, soup and enriched porridge among others’ are highly recommended.

Spices like ginger, garlic and cinnamon should also be included in diets, she adds.

She advises the public to avoid highly refined foods, fatty, sugary and salty foods.

At least three meals per day, up to four fruit servings and regular weight monitoring are recommended.

With a well and boosted immunity system, the body is likely to effectively tackle Covid-19 if infected.

She calls on those who have been eating but have been physically inactive to ensure they monitor their weights regularly and exercise for at least 30 to 60 minutes in a day.

“Parents should also limit what their children eat, avoid giving them junk and sugary foods that children like very much like cakes, biscuits, sodas, processed juices and be advised to do exercises,” she says.